Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Child benefit is a universal monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children who are in full-time education or who have a disability until their 18th birthday. It is currently paid to more than 650,000 families in respect of more than 1.2 million children with an estimated expenditure of in excess of €2.1 billion in 2023.

Last September, as part of budget measures, a number of supports were introduced specifically for families with children, such as the double child benefit payment and the €500 lump-sum payment to recipients of the working family payment. Low-income families also benefited from other budget measures, such as the €12 increase in the weekly personal rate for recipients of the working age payment.

Furthermore, next month, June, as part of the €470 million package, a further lump-sum child benefit payment of €100 per child will issue. In July, there will be a one-off increase of €100 in the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. Families who are on low incomes may be able to avail of a number of social welfare schemes that support children who are in full-time education until the age of 22, including increases for a qualified child with primary social welfare payments, the working family payment for low-paid employees with children and the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby support low-income families with older children participating in full-time education. There are currently no plans to extend child benefit in respect to full-time students who are over 18 years of age and who are in full-time education. Such an extension would have significant cost implications and would have be considered in an overall budgetary context. The Department does not hold figures on the numbers of students aged 19 to 22 years in full-time education or training. The estimated full-year costs of extending child benefit to 18-year-olds who are still in secondary school at the current rate of payment is €65 million. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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